The Australian Defence Force Academy
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The ADFA Values
ADFA Midshipman and Officer Cadet Code
The following four values are the Academy Values. They were developed and written by cadets, and belong to all at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), not just its military or public service staff or its Midshipmen or Officer Cadets.
The Academy Values are designed to provide a framework to guide your behaviour as you move towards graduation and service as a commissioned officer. They form the foundation from which you can progress towards embracing your own Service's Values and those of Defence.
Do Your Best
In joining the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Academy, you have made a commitment to your country and yourself. You are here to develop the attributes, qualities and skills required to be an effective leader. Your degree studies and your military training program are central to what you are at the Academy to achieve. It is your duty to get the most out of them. Your country is expending substantial resources on each of you to achieve just that aim - always remember this.
Be willing to seek help. The Academy may seem much more critical and demanding than anything you have encountered before. It almost certainly is. Accept constructive criticism. Take it in the spirit that it is meant. ADFA's striving for high standards has one purpose above all - to better equip you to be a leader amongst the dangers, uncertainties and ambiguities of operations in conflict. Get used to being out of your comfort zone - look for opportunities to improve your physical, emotional and intellectual stamina. Use your time at ADFA to get the most out of every aspect of what you do. The ADF wants well-rounded people as its leaders.
The Academy Values must infuse your whole life. Being off duty or on leave are no excuse for abandoning them. Nor is misusing alcohol. Bear in mind that not only the Australian Defence Force and the Academy are being judged by what you do and say, but that you yourself are being judged, by the public and by those whom you will lead in the future. Your professional reputation started the minute that you arrived at ADFA, do all that you can to build and maintain it. The better your reputation, the easier it will be to secure the trust of your people.
Be Honest
The first requirement of being a leader is to be honest with yourself. With leadership comes responsibility and accountability. Both of these depend upon honesty. You will make mistakes and errors of judgement. Admit them, learn from them and accept the consequences of an infringement. Then move on. The Academy is looking above all to see that you are developing and growing, partly through learning from your mistakes. It is repetition of errors or poor judgement that create the real concerns in the staff.
Your role as a leader in the ADF will demand both physical and moral courage. The Academy will provide many opportunities for you to test and develop your courage - on and off duty. By far the more challenging is moral courage, the ability to stand up for what is right in difficult circumstances. Ideas of 'mateship' sometimes confuse people; don't let them confuse you. Looking after your friends should not equate to covering up for them or lying for them. In particular, you are not being a friend if you fail to let the staff know that another midshipman or cadet is experiencing a crisis. If you are unsure about the way ahead on any problem, there are many different people at ADFA with whom you can talk and who are more than ready to talk to you.
Respect Others
The Academy is made up of many different elements and many different cultures. It is complex and diverse - but so are the ADF and the world in which you will work. Recognise and respect diversity, whether it be race, gender, Service or profession. In joining the ADF, you remain a member of the Australian community. There should be no 'us and them' between military and civilians, yourself and the staff, or between any other group at ADFA or with those outside the Academy.
Be critical of the attitudes and beliefs that you have brought with you. Do they stand up to the test of your new environment? Learn to recognise the difference between informed judgement and prejudice. Think before you speak, reflect before you act. Treat others, of all ranks and from all backgrounds, as you want to be treated yourself.
Give Everyone a Fair Go
Your fellow Midshipmen and Officer Cadets have their own challenges to face in their journey to graduation. They have different strengths and different weaknesses to you. What is very easy for you may be very hard - even very frightening - for another. Anyone who is struggling over the apparently simple needs your sympathy and help. Learn from others' strengths, help them master their weaknesses - and don't hesitate to seek their help for your problems.
Be mindful of those who are medically restricted, whether for illness or injury. Many of your peers at the Academy may injure themselves or fall sick. Do not marginalise these individuals when they are most vulnerable. ADFA is a highly competitive and achievement oriented environment - but understanding and due consideration must be afforded to others at all times.
Remember that you are a member of many teams within the Academy. Contribute to each of them as best you can. Don't bear grudges, particularly within your division or section. If a problem emerges, face up to it and look for a solution. The Academy is an intense environment; it requires give and take on the part of all within it.
The staff, military, academic and public service have their own challenges and demands to face. They are also human and capable of error, but they have much more life experience than you do. Listen to their advice - sometimes they will be warning you about mistakes that they made and now regret. Accept their guidance; they have a clearer idea of the way ahead than you may yet possess. Above all, recognise that they want you to succeed, because their success is measured by yours, not only now but also throughout your entire career.
The Future
The Academy values represent the start of a journey for you. As you mature and grow, you will need to reflect on the values that Defence and your own Service espouse, and the way in which the ADFA Values lead into them. The more effort that you have put into making the Academy Values truly yours, the more effective you will be as a leader and as a human being.
